“Are there really three guys competing for the upper seat?”
“Yeah. There’s that Adam guy, that officer named Gross, and another officer called Bedin. They seem to be dividing forces.”
Three of them, huh. It makes sense that Adam tried to recruit me, offering precious goods. My prosthetic arm business may not be huge in terms of scale, but it’s significant considering it’s a monopoly.
Plus, with my reputation, they must think bringing me on board would give them an edge in the succession battle.
“What about this Gross guy? What does he do?”
“He’s in charge of funds at the Dern Guild!”
Funds management… interesting. This guy is a big player too.
Historically, the position managing funds has been quite powerful. So it’s obvious Gross has some serious clout. He’s likely got dirt on other officers.
“Rue, do you know what kind of personality he has?”
“Well… he’s irritating!”
Is there even a boss who isn’t annoying? Anyway, it seems like Gross isn’t a great boss after all. Of course, there could be a twist, but a prickly personality isn’t common for a good boss.
I’d like to meet him if possible, but that seems tough.
Still, I don’t plan to totally withdraw from this matter.
I wouldn’t mind leaving after taking what I can, but ignoring it felt too unsettling. The downfall of Dern as the guild leader isn’t something I felt good about either.
After all, while we hadn’t become super close, we had seen each other’s faces for months. He probably wouldn’t cause me too much trouble… but you never know with people.
“Rue, who’s this officer Bedin?”
“He’s a founding member of the Dern Guild! He’s said to have the highest rank among the original members. The soldiers say he’s a good dude!”
Not ‘good dude,’ but probably ‘experienced.’ Anyway, seems like a nice guy. It’d be nice to meet him, but getting direct access to officers will likely be difficult. For now, I should prioritize gathering info through Sif.
“Is there any other info?”
“Hmm… the one I brainwashed seems to be connected to Adam! And, um… they were talking about ‘business’?”
“Business?”
“Yeah. Some of the officers are planning to start a big business, but the guild leader Dern opposed it.”
A big business?
What kind of business could they be talking about? Instead of finding clear answers, it feels like I’m just piling on questions. After all, what information could I get from a lowly guard’s body?
“Rue, did you wipe your traces well?”
“Nobody will know! They might find it a bit odd, but…”
Since only outsiders can use brainwashing magic, there shouldn’t be a worry about being caught.
I laid back on my bed and closed my eyes.
Looks like I’ll be busy for a while.
I need to check on Dern and then decide whether to pull out.
And…
———————
“You’re asking me to substitute today?”
“Yeah. It seems there’s a problem with the trading guild, so I may need to sort it out.”
“Working two days in a row is a bit rough…”
“Get a good drink as an apology.”
“Well, if that’s the case…”
Seeing Renny nod happily at the mention of drinks. I guess people love their booze. I’m not really into it myself. But if mercenaries drink a lot, it’s understandable that Renny picked up the habit.
“Thanks.”
“Make sure to wrap it up quickly.”
“I’ll try.”
It seems unlikely that it will be that easy, but I plan to wrap things up as fast as possible.
“Can you step out? I need to change clothes.”
“Take care.”
“Uh-huh.”
I left the room behind Renny, who picked up her knight outfit. The air was still chilly, as the corridor wasn’t heated.
[Contractor, going right away?]
“No, I’m heading to the guild in the afternoon.”
There was no reason to rush there at dawn, and I couldn’t exactly go poking around the guild openly, so I planned to make up a reasonable excuse and head out in the afternoon.
I wasn’t going to take orders for prosthetics for a while, and considering the chaotic atmosphere of the guild, too many eyes would be on me.
There was really no need to act conspicuously.
It’d be better to gather information gradually, pretending I’m discussing work with Sif.
[So what will you do in the morning?]
“I’m going to the hospital.”
I need to confirm if Adam’s claims are true.
I moved toward my destination.
—————————-
How many hospitals could there be in this vast Kalon city?
In this giant city, there were only three hospitals. Considering the one inside the academy, that made it four, but that’s just for academy students… so I need to find three places.
I rented a carriage and quickly arrived at the first hospital.
The hospital I entered was quiet. It seems only the wealthy use hospitals in this world. I walked straight to the counter and asked the staff.
“Welcome… uh, are you… Sir Quartz?”
“That’s me.”
“It’s an honor to meet you!”
The staff at the counter seemed so thrilled to meet me, they grabbed my hand and shook it vigorously. Their reaction was a bit exaggerated for a mere idol meeting, so I couldn’t help but ask.
“You seem very happy.”
“My brother owes his life to you, Sir Quartz! Thank you so much!”
“Sir Quartz?”
“Is that you?”
“I heard you’re a handsome gentleman with a cheerful demeanor…”
“No, that’s just a rumor! They say you have a scary face like an orc. Look, you seem like you could tear a demon apart! I’m right, aren’t I?”
…What the heck is going on with my reputation?
“So, what brings you to our hospital?”
“I’d like to know if the guild leader Dern from the Dern guild is hospitalized here.”
“He has never been hospitalized at our place!”
“Thank you.”
I immediately turned to leave the hospital. But the staff urgently called me back as if they had more to say.
“Sir Quartz! Could you give me an autograph?”
“An autograph…”
That much is fine. I took the paper and pen the staff offered and wrote my name in this world’s language.
It’s just writing my name and not really an autograph, but the staff was jumping for joy holding the paper with my name in big letters.
“Thank you! I’ll treasure this!”
“My autograph isn’t that valuable.”
“The autograph of the hero who defeated the Great Demon Harpas is worth its weight in gold!”
Is that so?
I didn’t think one little signature could make such a huge difference.
“Well, I’ll take my leave now.”
“Oh, are you planning to go to another hospital?”
“Yeah.”
“Then I recommend visiting Gallamere Hospital to find Thomas. He’s really good with local rumors. And at Mustiola Hospital, you might want to look for Nino. Just mention Lotty, and they’ll answer anything!”
“Thanks.”
“Just doing what I can. Take care!”
Well, that was lucky. I got some information too. I headed straight to Gallamere Hospital. It’s closer in distance, and I’d have to pass the Mustiola place anyway.
I opened the door to Gallamere Hospital and looked for Thomas. Fortunately, Thomas was sitting at the counter, staring at some paperwork.
“What brings you here… could it be Sir Quartz?”
“…That’s me. I guess my face is pretty well-known.”
“With such a distinctive appearance, how could you not be?”
“…Not so sure about that.”
“People usually don’t notice their own uniqueness.”
“Can we get to the point?”
“Ah, yes. What can I do for you?”
“Lotty said if I had questions, I should find you.”
“Oh, okay. What do you want to ask?”
“Is the guild leader Dern currently hospitalized here?”
“No, the guild leader Dern has never been here.”
“Got it. Then I’ll have to check the Mustiola Hospital.”
“You probably won’t find him there either.”
“What?”
I turned to Thomas, surprised by his answer. He continued explaining in a calm voice, unlike Lotty, who had been so frenzied.
“Our hospital staff shares a decent amount of information for cooperation, so if someone of that caliber had checked in, there would’ve been some rumors about it.”
“Huh. Then let me ask one thing. Is there somewhere a big shot might hide to receive treatment?”
He looked around and then whispered into my ear.
“…There are hospitals in the black market.”
“I see.”
So, have I gathered all the information I can for now?
“Thanks. I’ll take my leave now.”
Next is Sif, I hope to gather something meaningful as I headed down the path to the guild.
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